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Job Hunter Newsletter The One Thing You Must Do Before Your First InterviewDisclaimer: please note that all of the links were active as of the newsletter publication, but some may become inactive over time. Previous |
View 2007 Newsletters | -------------------- IN THIS ISSUE:
-------------------- - Job Search Tip of the Week, by Brian Krueger, author of "College Grad Job Hunter," the #1 book for entry level job search: "The One Thing You Must Do Before Your First Interview" There is one thing you must do before you interview. You need to interview. Not the actual interview, but a practice interview or mock interview. Nearly every college campus offers access to a Career Counselor who can take you through a mock interview. Sadly, fewer than 10 percent of all graduating students take advantage of mock interviews. And fully 90 percent end up stumbling through several interviews before they have any practical sense of how they are doing—because that is when the rejection letters start arriving. And those rejection letters offer you nothing in the way of constructive criticism toward future improvement other than pointing out to you in the starkest terms that you failed your interview. The mock interview is more than just a chance to work out your interview jitters. It is an opportunity to practice your interviewing technique and answers in a live simulation. It is also a chance to hear constructive feedback from someone who can guide you toward improving your interviewing style and presentation. Just one mock interview will result in a marked improvement in your interviewing skills. Why? For the same reason that a speech is not a speech while it is still on paper or just floating around in your head. It is not a speech until you give it verbally. The first time you give it in front of an audience (remember your first speech in Speech 101?), it will come out nothing like what you prepared. It is the same with interviewing. It is not enough to look at an interview question and say, “Yeah, I know the answer to that one.” You need to practice your answer. Live. In front of someone else. This is not the time to talk to yourself in the mirror. Seek out a professional and practice. Ideally, have the session recorded. That way, you will have two opinions—the mock interviewer’s and your own. Remember, you get a totally different perspective from listening to yourself saying something contemporaneously than you do from the “out-of-body experience” of watching yourself later on the recording. Just as your voice always sounds different in a recording, so do your answers. “Did I really say that?” Yes, you did. Aren’t you glad the image is captured in a recording (which can later be erased), rather than in a potential employer’s mind’s eye? Yes, you are. Go through at least one mock interview. For maximum effectiveness, review your responses and then go through a second mock interview. Even if you ace the second mock interview, it will be well worth it since it will give you confidence in your first real interview. It can be a painful experience, since you are likely not as ready as you think. The feedback you receive is intended as constructive criticism, so do not become defensive or make excuses. Simply take in the feedback and change your future interviewing for the better. Next newsletter: "The Insider Interview Prep Technique" -------------------- - Help Spread The Word! Do you know of someone who can benefit from the information in this newsletter? Simply forward this e-mail to them and tell them to subscribe at http://www.CollegeGrad.com/newsletter. Thanks for spreading the good word! -------------------- Job Search Links:
-------------------- - Job Search Book Online There are at least two other entry level Web sites that offer books on job searching, proclaming that they will tell you everything you need to know about entry level job search. However, there is a very important point about these books they don't mention up front: they cost money. At CollegeGrad.com, we give you two things they don't: 1. The #1 entry level job search book ("College Grad Job Hunter"). It's that simple. So don't buy the hype. Read the real information you need for FREE: http://www.CollegeGrad.com/book Don't ever pay for books or reports or resources of lower quality when you can access the very best quality information for free. P.S. Yes, you can buy "College Grad Job Hunter" in hardcopy format as well at Amazon.com for $15 (actually, 30% off that price), but the online version is better. Why? Because the version at Amazon.com (the 2003 edition) is being continually updated at CollegeGrad.com. So the most current version of the book is actually the online, free version. -------------------- - Sponsor: Lower Your Monthly Payments on Student Loans Want to lower the monthly payments on existing student loans while locking in a fixed rate? Act now to consolidate your student loans: Previous |
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